Chasing Phantoms
by MissBesanii
Summary: "Nothing's impossible, but it's often hard." Sequelshipping


Wow. So hey. Haven't been on here in AGES and I thought I'd left for good really but I brought White 2 the other day (I know super behind on things) and I have a lot of feelings about sequel shipping. So I thought I'd do something similar to my SoulSilvershipping fic. (Also Merry Christmas guys)

This is a Sequelshipping fic (Rosa and Hugh from Black2/White2.) It is going to resemble the game's plotline (very loosely) but I take creative liberty in everything about it.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

**Chapter One -** Off The Blocks.

* * *

"Rosa! Rosa get up! Come downstairs quick!" I hear my mother squeal as I pull myself reluctantly from my sleep. My feet hit the cold, unforgiving hardwood floor and I slide toward my bedroom door. She doesn't push me to come quicker when she hears my sleepy stomps down each step.

I barely even grace her with a greeting, barely managing a grunt.

"I was just on the phone to an old school friend, Professor Juniper!" She tells me excitedly, her voice too animated for this early hour. I purse my lips, knowing I would not need to prompt her to continue. "She needs a new helper for her research, and asked if you would be up for the task!"

Out of all possible career paths I have to choose from, research was halfway down the list in my desires. Just above ranching and nursing hatchlings, both of which would probably come with the job of research assistant. I consider how to politely turn the offer down while my mother continues to retell the conversation.

"She said her last helpers had done a fine job, but had moved on to other things, reporting new species inhabiting Unova! She needs somebody to journey as a trainer to revise the region! How exciting, huh?"

I perk up at the idea, whilst admitting to mother that I'd thought research meant time labouring in the laboratory. This, however, sounded like a wonderful opportunity.

"I told her that I would call later this evening with your answer. Consider it won't you?" She smiles, patting me on the head. "Now go get dressed, it's ten-thirty!"

* * *

Though I was painfully tempted to accept the offer, I knew I would want to talk things through and make sure I was doing the right thing first. Was the hard trainer's life what I wanted? Did I want to make pokemon fight for badges and aim to be Champion? I'll admit I hadn't been much of a fan of watching battles, not seeing the fun in such violence, but then again I'd never been in the battle myself. I didn't know how it felt to command such fantastic creatures as a partner and a friend.

I tug at my dress, a white cotton shirt style garment that dangles down to my knees, rolling up the sleeves to let my forearms catch a little sun. It's a beautiful hot day of late summer, and all that's on my feet are thinly strapped sandals with a pretty little anklet I'd received one birthday.

My home town of Aspertia was a beautiful place, so vibrant and new in the sunlight. I take in the crowds, recognising a few people and noting the obviously new tourists. So it's not until he's right in front of me do I notice the person I'd been headed to see.

"Hugh!" I beam, taking in my oldest friend quickly. Dressed in cream khaki shorts and a black tank top and burgundy shirt open on his shoulders, his usual attire for this kind of glorious weather. His red eyes flashed the smile on his face, but his most striking feature was his dark navy hair, which defied the law of gravity, sticking in up in each and every direction. I then look down to see little Jamie clinging to his hand as usual. "Hey!" She squeaks in her childish pitch. She's dressed in a pair of dungaree shorts and a pink t-shirt, which a white hat to keep the sun off her head. Her hair was also a navy colour, but it sat neatly in two plaits down the sides of her head.

"Morning!" I reply, then we head for the traffic lights to cross the street. Hugh had always made a point of setting a good example for his sibling, and I, of course, do my best to follow suit. It's true I don't have any brothers or sisters myself, but Jamie seemed to look to me as her big sister as much as she looked to her actual brother.

We find ourselves at the usual place for hanging out; the park. Being such a large city, the place was already full, and the park was equipped to entertain young children all the way up to teenagers. Hugh led me to a wooden ship and sat on top of it, which I'm sure it wasn't built for as it had slides on the inside, but we could chat and relax whilst overlooking the whole younger child area, allowing Jamie full run of the place with her friends.

After idle chit chat, I decide to break the news. "I've been offered a chance to go on a journey around Unova."

He blinks at me, his mouth puckered into a perfect circle.

I look down, unsure of his reaction. "I don't know whether I'll take it or not."

"What?"

The undeniable shock in his voice confuses me, and I look up to read his new expression. He's just as confused as I am.

So I explain myself instead. "I don't know whether I'm cut out for training pokemon. I've never had one-"

"That shouldn't stop you!" He blurts out, which is a common trait of his. I'd learnt to not take offence of him interrupting me. "This is a fantastic opportunity, Rosa. A once in a life time one! And you don't know if you're cut out for it?"

"It's not as easy as it sounds..." I try feebly, but he shakes his head. It's as if his shock subsides, revealing a strange sadness in the dark red hue of his eyes.

"I would give anything to go on a journey..." He mutters, looking down at my hands as I twiddle my index fingers.

I purse my lips. "Then why don't you?"

He shakes his head, glancing over the park and settling on the swings where two little girls play. "I can't leave. Not now. Not after..."

I don't need him to continue, it had barely been a year since his grandfather passed away, and Jamie was only just started coming out of her shell again. He was a lovely man who doted on his only two grandchildren, and they had returned his love in abundance. It had destroyed Hugh, but he pulled himself together quickly to support his five year old sister, who didn't quite understand why or where her Grandpa had gone. It was the only time I'd seen Hugh cry in the six years I'd known him.

"Sorry..." I whisper, placing a hand on his quickly and giving it a squeeze. His mouth twitches and he loops his thumb to stroke my finger, then pulls away.

"Don't be." He tells me, then looks me in the eye fiercely. "Do this for me though Rosa, you won't regret it."

I smile weakly at him, knowing I was defeated. How could I refuse him and look so ungrateful when faced with an opportunity people would die for?

"Hugh!" Jamie shrieks at the top of her lungs, and we both look over to her on the see-saw alone. Evidently, she is not impressed whilst sat at the bottom, making no movement on it at all. She demands we help her, but we're already sliding off the wooden boat and I take the opposite side of the siblings.

* * *

It was getting late, and I had eaten at home whilst enduring a very serious conversation with my mother. When she'd finally relieved me, I headed straight out the door and toward the apartment buildings that resided between to Route 19 and the pokemon centre. The road was always busy, scurrying pokemon trainers headed to heal their teams and businessmen looking to rent a room for the night before a meeting. I weaved through the people and rang the bell of the correct apartment number once quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hello Mrs Foster." I reply, and she lets me in immediately. I head for the elevator and find myself outside the Foster's residence in minutes. Mr Foster greets me as he opens the door and lets me in.

"He's just getting Jamie to sleep, shouldn't be long." He informs me, rolling his eyes. It was apparent that the young child demanded Hugh's attention more than her own parents', which must annoy them a little, but it also must be a god-send.

I poke my head around the door of Jamie's bedroom, a light smile crossing my face when I find Hugh gazing down at his little sister. He gently plays with her hair for a short time with a sad smile on his face, and her breathing eventually turns heavy. After another minute, he slowly tucks her in up to her chin, then stands up. He starts when he finds me leaning against the door frame, a gentle look in my eyes. He doesn't say anything, just ushers me out the door and he closes it quietly.

"When did you get here?" He whispers.

"Five minutes ago." I tell him in the same hushed tone.

We head straight for the door, not needing to discuss it. It's something we do every night; we sit on the rooftop of the apartment building. The view is stunning, and it's quiet. I take my usual seat against the barrier on the west side of the building, so I could watch the sun setting. Hugh finds his place next to me, hunching his knees up and resting his elbows across them.

"So when are you going?" He asks, not needing to ask whether I was or not.

I look down at my hands, which are cradled in my crossed legs. "Professor Juniper's assistant is heading over as we speak. She'll be here by the morning."

"Wow." Is all he says. I have no reply.

It seems wrong, spending our last night of normality together in silence. It's difficult though; I knew being excited about anything would be just rubbing it in his face, and I knew worrying about it would annoy him even more. So instead I take the cowardly option and speak nothing of the loaded topic.

"What pokemon will you pick?" He asks me, staring out over the city.

I hum in thought, I hadn't thought about it. "I don't know, really."

"A fire type is always powerful, but difficult to control and water pokemon are quite common which could be a problem..." He tells me, rolling his head to look at me sideways. "A water type always comes in handy when it comes to crossing oceans and stuff, but then grass types are so versatile!" He sighs in joyful frustration, as if it really bothered him. "I don't know what you're going to choose, but perhaps you should see the pokemon first. Maybe one will catch your attention?"

I nod. "That's not a bad idea."

"Of course it is, I thought of it." He laughs, and I do too. It's nice for a little while, laughter had always had been the most simplistic of medicines. However, there is too much worry in my mind, and I'm vibrantly aware of how little time I have left in this city. So I sober quickly.

Why was I so worried though? This was an incredible opportunity, and I'm sure many people my age would snatch the chance up in a heartbeat. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself too, I can cook, clean my clothes and basic survival skills and self defence.

I tried to focus on the root of my worry, but before I could come up with a possible answer, I was being nudged in the arm.

"Earth to Rosa!" Hugh teased, snorting at my flyaway nature. "I asked, what's wrong?"

"Oh." I mutter, then I look at him. There's that sadness again. Is he really so upset that he couldn't go on a journey? "You're the one who should be leaving tomorrow, not me."

He tilts his head, a tell tale sign when he is overcome with confusion.

"You'd be better at battling than me." I add.

He shrugs. "Maybe. There's only really one way to find out if that's true though, right?" He smiles and looks down at his knees. "One day we'll battle, okay?"

I nod automatically, but I fail to see how he would ever be able to leave his sister behind.

"I'm going to miss having you around though." He admits. "It's going to be weird."

"Quiet too, I guess." I chuckle, though there's a lump in my throat. Frightened, again. I sigh and try to choke it down. Failing miserably, I make a strange sound through my nose and squeeze my eyes shut, my head hung. Within moments there's an arm sliding around my back and it tugs me until I scoot closer and settle leaning against Hugh's shoulder. It's a strange, foreign place for me. We've hugged, of course, but never just leant on each other in such that would make you think of a couple in a cinema. Still, it may be strange, but it's not unpleasant. I allow myself to worry against him, and he takes my hand when he sees I'm biting my nails.

"You're going to be a great trainer." He tells me, with no doubt in his voice whatsoever. "I've just got a feeling."

This makes me smile. "A feeling."

"Yup." He announces proudly. I shake my head gently, and he chuckles.

* * *

My mother ensures I'm up bright and early the next morning, to my dismay. This is perhaps the last time I'll be waking in my wonderful, comfortable bed, and I'd wanted to have a good lie in. Still, once awoken, I'm awake. I stand, pick out a pair of black tights and a skirt, then yank a t-shirt over my head. At the last minute, I secure a visor cap over my carefully constructed hair buns.

I stomp down the stairs and scarf a hearty breakfast, my mother in a constant fluctuating state between unbearable sadness, unnecessary worry and excessive elation. Still, I persevere, and when she finally breaks down into proud sobbing as she clutches me, I begin to cry too.

"I'll come back and show you my pokemon before I leave, anyway." I tell her through recovery hiccups.

"I know, I know." She says. "Go now then, you don't want to keep the assistant waiting.

I head down the streets again, passing Hugh's house and up a winding hill to reach the viewpoint that overlooks the beautiful countryside that surrounds our city. It's pretty much our only tourist attraction here, unless you include the gym, which not many people do. As planned, a blonde haired girl stands at the edge of the barrier, and she spins around at my approach.

"Ah!" She cries in a jubilant, squeaky voice. "You must be Rosalie! I'm Bianca!"

I force a smile. "You can call me Rosa." I tell her as I take her hand and shake it. She titters nervously, and pulls a strand of hair from her face. It seems I'm not the only one feeling awkward in this situation.

"Okay, Rosa." She says, making a mental note and then springing into action. She carefully places her bag on a bench. and slides out a cylindrical case with a glass lid. I can see the three pokeballs I'll be choosing from straight away, and each are marked with a symbol of the pokemon types. Bianca flicks a switch and the glass lifts so I can pick up whichever one I like.

"You can choose from these three pokemon, Rosa!" She tells me as the three pokemon pop out of their capsules. They're all relatively similar in size, but the similarities stop there. The first, a Tepig as Bianca calls it, is a small quadruped creature with orange and black skin. It glances up at me, then sneezes, a few embers flickering from it's snout. The water type next it was named Oshawott, and it was a little blue thing with a white face. It clutched posessively at a sea shell and wrinkled it's nose as it glanced around the foreign place. The last was a Snivy, green and thin with enormous red eyes staring at me with a bored expression. Looking at the three of them, I couldn't help but think I didn't want any, and it didn't look like any were desperate to partner up with me either.

"Take your time, this is a big choice!" Bianca says, sitting down on the bench as she jots down a few notes in her writing pad.

Not knowing where to begin, I sink down onto my knees in front of them all. They approach cautiously, but as I hold my hand out, the Tepig squeals and rushes behind Bianca's legs. Snivy, who seems very unimpressed with me, sits beside me and just watches the world go by. It's only Oshawott who perseveres, and ends up sitting on my lap. I look up, and Bianca looks thrilled.

"I think that decides things, really." I smile, and the Oshawott leans back to look up at me.

Bianca claps in delight, making the skittish Tepig jump again and bolt for the bag on the floor. Bianca returns the pokemon before it could have a nervous breakdown, and the Snivy goes away too. "There we go then, that Oshawott is all yours. I think you two are a great fit!"

I look down at the small pokemon, my partner. As our eyes meet, albeit shyly, I can't help but feel a small fire light inside my chest; a pride that I can only guess resembles a mother holding her child for the first time. It takes a moment to realise that I already adore this pokemon that is mine, and it seems more than happy to be close to me.

"Here's your pokeball." Bianca grins, then helps me to stand. I decide on keeping Oshawott out for now, we needed time to bond and get to know each other, and that wasn't going to happen if a great metal barrier was between us. Bianca keeps rummaging through her bag. "And here's your pokedex, and some extra pokeballs to set you on your way."

We chat for a while as she teaches me the basics to being a trainer. There's so much more to think about than just battling with your pokemon. I am solely responsible for keeping my pokemon and myself healthy, rested, well fed and happy. I already know the basics to camping, and I am an average cook. I would be okay, as long as I looked after my pokemon.

As I reach the bottom of the stairs, I spot my mother hurrying towards me. She's clutching my backpack and a box.

"Hey, baby!" She coos to my pokemon, who responds to the obvious motherly tenderness. She looks up to me and beams, pride sparkling through her crystalline blue eyes. "You made a good choice, Oshawott is a fine pokemon."

I nod. "We're going to be good friends, aren't we?"

The little creature cries out in agreement, and my mother starts to cry again. Instead of apprehending her for her over-emotional state, I hug her with my little pokemon between us.

Before I can offer some optimism, she begins to babble as she thrusts my back pack at me, followed by a small cardboard box. I open the latter to find a pair of sneakers, pink and girly but very obviously made for heavy duty walking.

"Put them on!" She demands, taking Oshawott off me and cradling it like a child. The pokemon was more than content to be treated that way as well, nuzzling away and closing it's eyes. I made a mental note as I tugged on the new trainers, and I knew immediately that these were going to be far better than my little black pumps I'd been planning on wearing. They had a lovely thickness in the sole, and I could feel myself spring instead of step.

"They're great! Thanks Mom." I beam, taking my pokemon back off her. We start out for Route 19, but as I round the corner, I have another person to wave me off. Mother spots him and immediately smiles and turns to me.

"Then this is where I'll leave you then." She says quietly, and it's evident she's using all her strength not to cry and make it harder for me. "You'll call me at each city?"

"And if I'm camping for quite a while." I promise, wiggling my xtransceiver that she'd also brought me.

She nods, and it seems her throat has stopped letting her form anymore words. I give her one last hug and assure her of my love, then hurry off to Hugh.

"An Oshawott." He smiles, tapping the pokemon on the nose. It let out a squeaky cry in reply. "Looks strong."

"We will be." I nod, starting again down the road. Hugh falls into step beside me.

We're quiet for a moment, not really having anything left to say since last night. He wasn't the sort to cry and pander over me, and I felt I owed it to him to be strong too. As I reached the city gates, he stops and places his hands on my shoulders. "You'll call me at least weekly, right?"

"Of course. More if anything exciting happens!" I assure him. He smiles.

"And you," he pokes Oshawott gently to get his attention. "You look after Rosa, okay? She's a good friend."

"Oshaa!" It snorts, lifting it's nose into the air as if it didn't want or need to be told.

Despite my thoughts, Hugh genuinely looks watery eyed, but he wasn't going to shed them any time soon. "Take care." Is all he says, and then pushes me gently in the direction. I can see him still watching after me even as I reach the end of the straight road. I wave hugely at him once and then disappear around the corner.


End file.
